After a slow first half, the Lady Bulldogs used a third-quarter drive to propel themselves out to a 57-42 Watauga Valley Conference win Thursday night on the campus of ETSU.

Alexus Grubbs led the way with a game-high 20 points. Post Megan Garland followed up with 12 points. Shyanne Tuelle closed out the night with nine of her own.

After one, the Lady Bulldogs led the Lady Buccaneers 10-7. However, in the second period, University High conducted a 9-point drive to climb out ahead 16-13 with 3:21 left in the half. In the last two minutes of the second quarter, Hampton posted six unanswered points, with Kinzey Hill, Megan Garland, and Alexus Grubbs all providing a bucket each to give Hampton a small 19-16 edge heading into the half. Grubbs led the first-half attack with six, while Garland and Shyanne Tuelle chipped in four a piece. Hampton’s Hope Bridgeman had a 3-pointer to open up the second frame.

The Lady Bulldogs didn’t waste any time getting to work in the third quarter. In the opening moments of the frame, Tuelle and Grubbs knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Lady Bulldogs up 25-16. Grubbs would connect for five more points in the period to help her team out score UH 20-9 to take a 39-23 lead into the fourth quarter.

“We knocked down some big shots in the second half,” Hampton head coach Bud Hazelwood said. “We showed a lot more effort in the second half.”

In the final period, the Buccaneers picked up the pace, scoring 17 points to Hampton’s 18. UH’s Lexi Crouthers had 12 points in the final frame. For Hampton, Garland posted six final-quarter points, while Grubbs went 4 of 4 from the foul line. Bridgeman connected her second trey of the night in the fourth.

“Over the last week or so, she has been shooting a lot better in practice,” Hazelwood said about Bridgeman, who finished the night with six points. “I told her that she has the green light and we need more scoring. And she fired it up tonight.”

With the win over UH, Hampton finished out the conference season with a 6-4 record, giving them a chance to head into the district tournament tied for second with North Greene (6-3 WVC). Tonight, the Lady Bulldogs will travel to Chuckey-Doak, before hosting Grainger on Saturday.

In the first round of the district tournament, the Lady Bulldogs will face off with UH (0-10 WVC).

“It is win or go home,” Hazelwood said. “We better come out ready to play. UH is a really good team. They are better than their record indicates. They are not bad at all.”

Girls

Hampton 57, University High 42

Hampton (57)

Grubbs 20, Garland 12, Tuelle 9, Bridgeman 6, Hill 3, Hoyle 3, Guinn 2, Campbell 2.

University High (42)

Ramsaran 12, Newberry 10, Crouthers 10, Howard 7, Dison 3, Shearin 1.

Hampton 10 9 20 18 — 57

Unversity 7 9 9 17 — 42

3pt goals— Hampton 6 (Grubbs 2, Bridgeman 2, Tuelle 1, Campbell 1) UH 4 (Howard, Dison, Newberry, Ramsaran).